Whiplash is an incredibly common car accident injury, especially if you were involved in a rear-end collision. While many cases of whiplash are minor, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention following any car accident, as even a seemingly minor whiplash injury can worsen or become debilitating without treatment.

Whiplash Causes

A whiplash injury occurs when your head and neck are suddenly thrown forward and then suddenly jerked backwards. You experience pain because the muscles and joints in your neck have been pushed beyond their normal “comfort” zone and range of motion. According to the Mayo Foundation, car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.

Whiplash Symptoms

If you have a whiplash injury, your neck might start to hurt immediately after your accident. However, some people don’t experience pain until days later.

The symptoms of whiplash can include:

• Neck stiffness
• Neck pain
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Difficulty in swallowing

While you should always seek immediate medical treatment after you have been in an accident, you should see your physician immediately if you can’t move or lift your head or neck because it’s too painful, if the pain that you are experiencing is moving into your shoulders or arms, or if your arms are getting numb. Another cause for concern is if your pain goes away and then returns.

Factors Affecting Whiplash

Many factors can affect the severity of your whiplash injury.

Among these factors are:

• Road conditions
• The angle at which your vehicle was rear-ended
• The sizes of the cars or vehicles involved in the accident
• How you were holding your head when your car was hit
• If you had time to brace yourself before the accident occurred

 
In addition, the speed of the vehicle at the time of the crash has no impact on the severity of your whiplash. Contrary to what you might believe, you can get a whiplash injury even if the car that hit your car was traveling under 10 mph.

Whiplash & Your Louisiana Personal Injury Lawsuit

It is important to contact a qualified Louisiana personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your car accident to discuss your rights. You only have 1 year from the time of your car accident to take legal action, according to Louisiana statute of limitation laws.

You may be entitled to compensation for your car accident and whiplash injuries including:

• Medical expenses, including any expenses that you may incur in the future
• Compensation for loss of income
• Emotional pain and suffering
• Costs that you incur if you have to hire someone to help you with everyday tasks and chores

 
Contacting a Baton Rouge Personal Injury Lawyer

Your Louisiana personal injury attorney can look at the specifics of your accident, help determine liability, and if necessary, help you file a Louisiana personal injury lawsuit and even negotiate with your insurance provider on your behalf. Contact a Louisiana personal injury lawyer today at the Law Offices of J. Price McNamara - 866-248-0580.